Years Ago, Efrain Won His Case

Bronx State Senator Efrain Gonzalez has been found on the wrong side of the law in the past, but in 1978 he was able to avoid any consequences.

With a little bit of digging, reporter [Candice M. Giove](mailto:candicegiove@gmail.com?subject=Efrain%20Gonzalez) has found that nearly three decades ago Gonzalez was indicted by federal prosecutors for his part in a scheme to allegedly bilk a non-profit group out of tens of thousands of dollars through a shady real estate deal.

According to the indictment, Gonzalez, his current defense attorney Murray Richman, the late Bronx State Senator Joseph Galiber and Victor Risso, chairman of the Hispanic Association for a Drug Free Society (SERA), purchased a South Bronx building for $75,000 and just hours later sold it to SERA for $350,000. Prosecutors accused the four of profiteering.

In the end, this ordeal had a happy ending for Gonzalez, who saw his charges dropped after Galiber, Richman and Risso were acquitted.

Gonzalez is currently under indictment for allegedly pilfering over $400,000 in taxpayer funds from a non-profit organization for his own personal use. My recent piece outlining his indictment and the culture of member items in Albany can be found [here].